With a proud cricketing heritage in his family, it is hardly surprising that Michael Richardson chose to pursue a career in sport. A wicketkeeper-batsman like his father Dave - the former South Africa gloveman who became chief executive of the ICC in 2012 -- Richardson took the initial step from university to professional cricketer when he became an MCC Young Cricketer in 2008, having played for Nottingham University and in the Nottinghamshire Premier League since 2006.

The move to Lord's was a successful one, and in his second season he was named captain of the Young Cricketers. Towards the end of the season he signed a professional contract with Durham and was one of their leading batsmen in the 2010 Second Eleven Championship, scoring 562 runs at 70.25. First XI appearances followed in 2011, and he made the most of Phil Mustard's absence to kick off the season with a pair of half-centuries on his Championship debut that helped set up a 146-run win over Yorkshire in April.

Richardson batted down the Durham order in 2013 and when he made his maiden Championship hundred in Durham's defeat of Yorkshire at Scarborough, a result that tipped the title in their direction, he had claims to being the best No. 8 in the country. Yorkshire, again, became victims of another rise in his career-best - 148 this time - at Chester-le-Street in 2014. They must have been sick of the sight of him. The runs did not always come so reliably, though, and he jettisoned the gloves for a time in 2016 to try to resdiscover his best batting form.

Born in Port Elizabeth, Richardson has maintained his ties with South Africa and spends his winters playing club cricket in the Western Cape.
ESPNcricinfo staff

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